MINERÍA ARTESANAL Y EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA (MAPE) Y COVID-19: RESPUESTA A LA PANDEMIA

The document examines how COVID-19 disrupted the livelihoods of millions in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, highlighting a lack of government support and severe economic losses due to supply chain restrictions. It notes that while the informal sector served as a critical social safety net, the pandemic exacerbated gender inequalities. The report argues that the recovery phase offers an opportunity for governments to 'build back better' through public-private partnerships and progressive regulation to foster a formal, responsible mining sector.

• The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is vast and predominantly informal, with an estimated 40.5 million direct participants in 2017 and an informal workforce representing 80% of the total.
• Government responses to the pandemic in ASM communities have been limited; over half of the IGF-surveyed governments could not provide specific pandemic-related support, and over 80% of ASM respondents via Delve reported receiving no support, including a lack of masks and disinfectants.
• COVID-19 restrictions severely impacted mineral trade and miner incomes; for example, gold producers faced unprecedented price drops at the mine, in some cases decreasing by up to 40% despite high global gold prices.
• The pandemic worsened existing gender inequalities, as women in the ASM sector were disproportionately affected by increased domestic burdens and childcare responsibilities following school closures.
• Despite government limitations, the informal ASM sector acted as a vital economic safety net for populations with few other employment options or savings.
• In Zimbabwe, ASM communities demonstrated self-reliance by collectively funding a COVID-19 ward at a local hospital.
• The report suggests that recovery strategies should rely on public-private partnerships to bridge resource gaps and use the current health response to build trust between miners and governments to facilitate formalization.

APA

Crawford, A., Lyster, O., & Rolfe, A. (2020). MINERÍA ARTESANAL Y EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA (MAPE) Y COVID-19: RESPUESTA A LA PANDEMIA. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/artisanal-small-scale-mining-covid-es.pdf

Chicago

Crawford, Alec, Olivia Lyster, and Adam Rolfe. MINERÍA ARTESANAL Y EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA (MAPE) Y COVID-19: RESPUESTA A LA PANDEMIA. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/artisanal-small-scale-mining-covid-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Crawford |first1=Alec |last2=Lyster |first2=Olivia |last3=Rolfe |first3=Adam |title=MINERÍA ARTESANAL Y EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA (MAPE) Y COVID-19: RESPUESTA A LA PANDEMIA |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/artisanal-small-scale-mining-covid-es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{crawford2020minera, author = {Crawford, Alec and Lyster, Olivia and Rolfe, Adam}, title = {{MINERÍA ARTESANAL Y EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA (MAPE) Y COVID-19: RESPUESTA A LA PANDEMIA}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/artisanal-small-scale-mining-covid-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }